Summer school? Why not?

Did your child struggle during the school year and you are wondering how you can help? In most cases, summer classes are a great solution.

3 reasons to take summer classes

• 14-year-old Sam ended the year with 63% in his math class. While he didn’t fail, it would be in his best interest to go over the notions he didn’t quite grasp. His goal: catch up and start the upcoming school year on the right foot.
• 16-year-old Sarah failed English. She needs to take a summer class to make sure she passes her exams when she retakes them in late July or early August. Her goal: avoid falling behind.
• 10-year-old Alice excelled in all her classes and while she loves going to day camp, she still yearns for an intellectual challenge. Her goal: satisfy her thirst for knowledge.

Wherever you live, your child can always enrol in summer classes. Whether they are courses offered in groups or one-on-one, in class or online, you have the freedom to choose the option that best suits your child’s needs.

Group courses

High schools across the province offer group summer classes for different subjects (e.g.: French, English, math, science, history, etc.) All you need to do is check what’s available in your area.

In Montreal, the School Success tutors offer group courses at both Collège Charles-Lemoyne and Collège Saint-Jean-Vianney. For three weeks beginning in early July, students have class for three and a half hours every day. They can also ask any questions they have about homework or the material covered that day in a 1-hour online session offered after class.

Ideal for students who:

• failed one or two classes, and
• are motivated when they are surrounded by other students.

One-on-one courses

The main advantages of one-on-one courses are their flexibility and the personal experience they offer. The tutor and the student can meet in person at the latter’s house, in a public location (a library, for example) or even online, and can target the student’s personal needs so he or she is able to understand the different notions a lot faster.

Ideal for students who:

• have a busy schedule and can’t spend time in class every morning (or afternoon) from Monday to Friday,
• have learning difficulties and could definitely benefit from a more personalized approach,
• only need to review a few notions in or more subjects, and
• want to learn more than what was covered in class (like Alice).

Online courses

A few years ago, in response to the growing demand, School Success added online courses to its summer school curriculum. This format allows students who need to take a summer course to do so in the comfort of their own home (or wherever they are, as long as they have access to Internet and are in the same time zone) while receiving the same quality of teaching and support as they would in class. They can access the live classes using an accessible, user-friendly platform from their computer or tablet. Each class is recorded and made available to the students afterwards.

The online classes last three weeks, for a total of 45 hours of teaching per course. Students must plan to be online for 3.5 hours per day.

Ideal for students who:

• cannot attend group courses (because their family rented a cabin in Vermont, for example), and
• do not live in the areas where tutors offer at-home services.

Of course, your children would probably prefer enjoying the summer with their friends or working at their summer job, but a couple of classes will ensure they don’t fall behind in school. See it as a short-term sacrifice to achieve long-term school success!

This article was written in collaboration with School Success, a company dedicated to the academic success of primary, secondary, and college students. School Success offers homework help, remedial classes, curriculum enrichment, and test preparation services.